Rule #4: Don’t Practice Convenient Loyalty

How many people do you trust? I mean, REALLY trust? As in to have your back no matter what, to support you in the toughest times imaginable, to fight beside you or trust in you when no one else would?

Now what kind of loyalty do YOU practice?  We all mess up a fair amount when it comes to loyalty. And I don’t mean you have to betray someone on a big scale, like these folks did. I’m talking about the little things, like ditching one friend to hang with another, or not supporting your sibling by going to their playoff game because you want to stay home and sleep.

There’s psychology behind it too! Counsellor and hypnotherapist Susan Leigh argues that “Loyalty is an important part of our commitment to each other. It oils the wheels of daily life and enables us to respect those close to us and trust that we will treat each other with regard.”

Now here’s the challenge… Don’t be loyal only when it’s convenient for you. Loyalty can be painful! If a friend or family member makes a lot of stupid choices and gets into trouble, it can be incredibly trying and painful to be there for them all the time. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it (and remember, we ALL do a lot of stupid things, and people are there for us too)! Obviously there are limits to helping someone who makes stupid choices again and again, but you get my drift. Challenge yourselves (as I definitely need to challenge myself) to be there for your friends and family when it hurts. THAT is the true meaning of loyalty.

And loyalty isn’t just a human thing! Check this out: